Frowns
by Marmy
Summary: Doug decides to leave Aperture so that he might find help for his artificial intelligent friend Nora. However, he soon discovers that the world has changed quite a bit since he's been trapped in Aperture. Meanwhile, Wheatley plans to reunite with Nora, and Amelia finally decides to take charge of her life underground. (an alternate sequel to my story "Love As a Construct")
1. Chapter One: The Surface

**AN: Welcome back, readers! Or if this is your first time, welcome to my stories! This is an alternate sequel to my story "Love As a Construct." I **_**highly**_** recommend you read that first before starting this one. Otherwise, you might be confused. I originally wrote my story "Smiles" as a sequel, but when I finished with that story, I didn't want to be done writing about Doug. This is kind of like an alternate universe in which Doug decides to leave Aperture without the aid of Amelia and her friends (from my story "Smiles"). By the way, you don't have to have read my story "Smiles." It just might make a little more sense.**

**Sorry to keep you waiting. Read on, loyal readers.**

**(P.S. If you skipped this Author's Note, you might be a little bit confused about who Nora or Annie are.)**

Doug got very lonely without Nora. He searched for her as thoroughly as he could, but he couldn't find her. The Companion Cube tried to comfort him, but it didn't help him knowing that its voice was only in his mind. Even his silent friend Annie couldn't ease his anxiety. They just weren't as real as Nora.

Panic followed the loneliness. He started drawing on the walls a lot more. He drew pictures of Nora constantly, hoping that she would happen to see them as she wandered around the facility. He desperately wanted her to know that he was concerned and looking for her.

"How could I have not run into her by now?" he wondered. "It's been at least a year since we were separated. I've been on the move since then. The odds of us _not_ running into each other are very low. I don't understand this. Something must have happened to her. Oh god. What if GLaDOS did something to her? What if she destroyed her? Oh god, no! She did seem absolutely sick of personality cores when we ran away from her! She's probably crushing them all! Nora could already be dead! No! No no no no no!"

_"Doug, calm down,"_ the Companion Cube said. _"Nora is still alive. She's a fighter, right? She won't give up until she can see you again."_

"Do you really think so?" Doug asked. "I wish I could at least call out to her. I wish I could openly search for her, but I'm severely limited as long as GLaDOS is active." He sighed. "I feel so powerless. So weak and pathetic. I…I think I need help."

_"How do you mean?"_

"I mean I might need to seek outside help."

_"I think that's a good idea."_

The thought of leaving the facility started to make Doug anxious, but the Cube was able to convince him that it was the right thing to do. He reluctantly had to agree since he was making no progress on his own.

There was a room that he had been avoiding for quite some time. It was a small office with a gap in a corner of the ceiling. The gap in the wall was a good size, but dirt was packed into it. Doug's heart beat faster as he stared at the soft-looking dirt. It seemed like it would be a good deal of work to dig through to the surface. But he couldn't just walk out the front door. GLaDOS would surely catch him before he could even make it to the lobby.

"I'm still unsure about this," he said to the Companion Cube as they stood in the hall.

_"Relax,"_ the Cube said. _"She doesn't keep a close watch on the administration offices. You'll be fine."_

"GLaDOS isn't what's bothering me right now."

_"I understand why you're afraid, Doug,"_ the Cube said. _"Really, I do. After being trapped indoors for so long, you're afraid of the open space."_

"It's not so much _that_ as the thought of interacting with humans again. It has to have been at least a decade since I last spoke to another human."

_"Well then, you're past due for some human conversation, aren't you? Now come on. Use me to climb up to that hole."_

Doug sighed and picked up the Cube. He carried it over to a table and used it as a step to reach the hole. He hesitated, though. His hands were starting to tremble.

_"Doug,"_ the Cube said. _"You'll be just fine."_

"What if I need you?" Doug asked, looking down at his friend.

_"You'll find me."_

"How?"

_"Just shut up and get to the surface."_

Doug started to move the dirt away with his hands. It was soft and kind of damp as if it had just rained recently. The mud fell onto the Companion Cube, and Doug apologized almost every time it happened. He dug upwards until he could see the sky. It was cold and gray, but it still made a spark in his heart. Then, as if he was afraid that the sky would suddenly disappear, he attempted to pull himself up through the nickel-sized hole. He pulled himself up, kicking his legs underneath him as they ascended from the Cube.

His head soon emerged from the mud and he dragged himself out onto wet grass. There was a light sprinkle coming from the overcast sky. Doug didn't mind this. The feeling of raindrops hitting his skin startled him a little, but he still didn't mind it. Despite his last experience with rain…But he wasn't hallucinating now. He felt pretty alright this time.

_"Good luck, Doug!"_ the Companion Cube called out from the hole.

Doug looked around himself. He was at the far east side of Aperture where a vast wheat field started a few yards past the fence ahead of him. To the south and west was a heavily wooded area. To the north ran the road that Aperture employees would use to get to work. Doug didn't want to take the road. It would leave him no cover and he really didn't feel like running into any people just yet. The forest had too many creatures living in the trees that might attack him. He decided that his best route to help would be through the wheat field.

He approached the chain-link fence and slipped his fingers through the diamond-shaped gaps. He looked up at the barbed-wire at the top of the fence. How was he going to get through this?

"Come on, Doug," he encouraged himself. "You can think this through. You have to. Nora is counting on you. Now there's no way I'm getting over the fence. I don't feel like tangling myself up in that barbed-wire. There isn't enough room to crawl _under_. Could I break through the _gate?_ No, wait. The gates are triple-locked. Damn it! I can't already be stuck! Nora could be in danger and I'm stuck at my first obstacle! How pathetic! After everything I've been through and all the things I had to do to survive so far! And I'm stuck at a _fence!_ Screw it! I'll just dig a goddamn hole!"

He dropped down to his knees and began to frantically dig out the mud at the bottom of the fence. His face was splattered with mud and his fingers hurt, but he pressed on. He felt like an animal as he clawed away the earth with his fingernails. When there was just enough room for his shoulders to fit through, he dragged himself under the fence on his belly. The jagged bottom raked his back, but he managed to get through to the other side.

Once he was all the way through, he stood up and looked at his hands. They were red and filthy. They ached and his back stung. But he didn't worry about this. What worried him was the open field ahead of him. It seemed so much more real now that he was on the other side. He was truly outside with a whole world before him.

He took a deep breath. "Just put one foot in front of the other," he told himself. But as he started off on his journey, the rain slowly started to pick up.


	2. Chapter Two: In Need of Companionship

Doug didn't get very far before the rain turned into a thunderstorm. He tried to press on, but as the sky grew darker he felt more uncomfortable and felt that there were creatures stalking him in the waist-high wheat. They were hunting him, waiting for him to let his guard down. This wouldn't have troubled him nearly as much if he hadn't already been exhausted. He seriously needed some sleep if he was going to continue on this journey.

"I can't stop _here_, though," he whispered to himself. "Whatever is in the wheat will get me."

He looked ahead of him and estimated that there was at least another mile of wheat to walk through. It was hard to tell, though, with such little light. The moon was struggling against the clouds to lend him a helpful glow. As he squinted into the darkness, lightning streaked across the sky and he could have sworn that he'd seen tall figures around him. They had long limbs and sickles for fingers that glinted in the flash of light. Doug immediately ducked down before any of them could spot him.

"This can't be happening," he whispered hysterically. "Th-They're looking for me. I just know they are. Oh god. What should I do? C-Companion Cube, I need you right now! How do I find you? I-I should have stayed in Aperture! This was a _huge_ mistake! Why did I think I could do this?!"

He curled up in a fetal position and shivered in a shallow puddle. He could hear the tall monsters moaning as they looked for him. But even as he covered himself with his lab coat in fear that the monsters might see him, his eyelids grew heavy and began to droop. He fought against the drowsiness, terrified of what the hunters might do once they found him.

"Th-They might not even be real," he assured himself quietly. "They could be a hallucination. A-Actually, I bet they _are_. And I need some sleep. Maybe if I only rest my eyes. Just to refresh my mind."

He closed his eyes and almost instantly fell asleep.

* * *

Doug got a surprising amount of sleep despite the storm. It didn't make him feel much better, though. He was famished and could only think about how much he really wanted some wheat toast.

"How ironic it would be to starve to death in a wheat field," he mumbled with a smirk.

He stretched and wiped a bit of mud off of his face. The whole right side of his body was soaked in mud from sleeping on the ground. Without the pattering of the rain and the booming thunder, it was eerily quiet out. The sky was slowly clearing itself of clouds, and the moon was able to light the wheat field more. The monsters seemed to have gone with the storm. If everything wasn't drenched, Doug might have wondered if he had just imagined the whole storm.

"I might as well keep walking," he said. "I still don't feel safe sleeping outside in the dark."

As he continued on his journey, he was surprised to find himself longing for Aperture. He looked back and could barely see the building in the distance. Despite all the unpleasant memories that were associated with that place, he still felt reluctant about leaving. It wasn't just because Nora was still back there. He missed the dim lights that had beamed into his dens. He missed the humming of machinery. Hell, maybe he even missed Wheatley a little. But what he found himself missing most of all were the enclosed spaces. The open sky and seemingly endless field made him very uneasy. He wondered if Chell had felt the same way when she had left behind Aperture.

"No, she was probably _ecstatic_ to get out of the facility," Doug mumbled, smiling. "I wonder where she ended up. She probably established a new life in a nearby town. At least _she_ has a chance at leading an ordinary life now."

There was a sudden sound of something fluttering over his head and he ducked down defensively. He still didn't like birds after one had attacked his head in Aperture. He was very wary of anything in the sky as he continued forward.

It was only an hour until the sun came up. He felt better about having more light, but the sun shined right in his eyes. Nevertheless, he relished the warmth on his face. The closest kind of warmth he had gotten to this in Aperture was standing over a furnace receptacle. He hadn't felt so free in years. He hadn't even felt free in _college_. There had always been so much stress over homework and papers and budgeting his money as he worked a part-time job as a computer technician's secretary—not to mention his schizophrenia just beginning to bloom. Then he'd started working at Aperture, and he'd felt no relief from being done with school. He'd felt trapped as an employee before he was _literally_ trapped there.

He suddenly tripped over something that was half-buried in the mud. He caught himself before he fell, and looked down at the object. It appeared to be a coffee mug with its handle sticking straight up. He pulled it out of the ground and brushed the mud off of it. It had a band of black around it and a red heart on either side.

_"It's about time you found me!"_ the Companion Cube said. _"Would you mind dumping the mud out of me?"_

"Sorry," Doug said. He used his hand to scoop the mud out of his friend. The mud was so damp and cold, but he found that he couldn't stop smiling. "You always have to have hearts, don't you?"

_"It's just my thing,"_ the Companion Cube said. _"You know you love it."_

"I suppose I ought to call you the Companion _Cup_ now, huh?"

_ "Ha-ha. Very clever."_

"I missed you," Doug said quietly.

_"I missed you, too,"_ the Companion Cup said. _"Now look alive. There's a truck approaching."_

"What? Where?"

_ "Just turn your head a bit to your left."_

Doug obeyed and saw an old, rusty pick-up truck driving south down the road that was just a few yards in front of him. It started to slow down as the driver noticed him.


	3. Chapter Three: Human Interaction

**AN: The song featured in this chapter is "Just Wait" by Blues Traveler. That's all.**

The old pick-up truck slowed and stopped in front of Doug who froze where he stood.

_Like a deer in headlights, eh?_ he thought.

_"Don't be distrusting but be weary of other humans,"_ the Companion Cup advised. _"I know you might be excited to see another living, conscious person but they may not take kindly to your, er….issues."_

A young man opened the driver's door and stepped out of the truck. He looked like he was straight out of high school with his young face and curious eyes. He had long blonde hair that was perfectly straight. He was almost as skinny as Doug and his clothes were pretty worn out. When he met eyes with Doug, he smiled. Despite the kid's harmless appearance, though, Doug didn't know how to properly react to this. He was actually surprised to find his eyes watering a little. Another human being stood before him and was smiling.

"Ahoy there!" the kid said. "Lost in the Sea of Wheat, I see."

"W-What?" Doug asked meekly. He suddenly thought he could feel a tentacle slowly wrapping around his ankle.

"The field," the stranger said. "My family used to call it the Sea of Wheat because of how it sort of looks like it has waves. I don't know. Inside family joke." He shrugged.

Doug laughed a little, and the tentacle slithered away.

"Man, you look like a mess!" the young man said. "No offense. It's mostly the mud all down your side. You wanna come home with me and clean up? My town isn't too far away, and we're all pretty friendly these days."

Doug stared at him blankly. Why did he say "these days"? What was _that_ supposed to mean? Still, he silently walked toward the truck.

"My name is Spencer," the young man said. "Spencer McKale." He stuck out his hand for Doug to shake.

"I'm Doug Rattmann," Doug said quietly. He quickly shook Spencer's hand before wrapping both hands around the Cup.

"Rattmann, huh? Is that a Jewish name?" Spencer asked.

"Umm…Not that I know of."

"Well, it's great to meet you, Doug," Spencer said with the sincerest smile. "Why don't you hop in the passenger seat, and I'll take you back to my place for a home-cooked meal? You look half-starved."

Doug couldn't argue with this. The thought of sitting down to a real meal again made his stomach feel as shriveled as a raisin. He climbed into the truck with Spencer and they headed toward civilization.

"We're pretty close to the Aperture Science Facility," Spencer mused. "You know about that place? Weird place."

"More like _crazy_," Doug murmured.

"Say again?"

"I said it's crazy there. I just escaped that place."

Spencer turned his head sharply to look at Doug as he drove. "You did _what?"_

"I escaped," Doug said. "There's a rogue AI that controls the facility and…Could we talk about this later? I need to have a cup of coffee first."

"But…that facility has been closed for, like, fifteen years? I think it's been fifteen. My dad worked there. Did you know Arthur McKale?"

"I didn't really know many other people there," Doug said. "Please, I need a few minutes of silence to process things in my head. I'll explain everything later."

"Right, of course," Spencer said. "Take your time to collect your thoughts."

As they rode in silence, Doug pondered on the odd sensation of riding in a car again. He never thought something as mundane as riding in a car would become so alien. He watched the scenery fly past them as they kicked up dust on the dirt road. There wasn't really much aside from the wheat fields until suddenly there were just empty plains of grass.

After about ten minutes of driving, Doug could see a town up ahead. There were people building a chain-link fence on the outskirts of the town. In fact, most of the buildings seemed to be under construction. As they turned and drove along a street on the edge of town, Doug noticed many buildings being repaired, repainted, or just torn down.

"You showed up just in time," Spencer said, breaking the silence. "We kind of just finished a little war here. We took our town back from the Combine, if you can believe it."

"The 'Combine'?" Doug asked. "Isn't that some kind of farming equipment?"

"Oh, right," Spencer said. "Aperture shut down just before the Seven Hour War."

"Did you say 'Seven _Hour_ War'?" Doug asked, looking at Spencer with disbelief.

"You've missed a lot, Doug."

They parked in front of an apartment complex with only two remaining buildings. Doug followed Spencer toward the building right at the edge of town, and went around to the back.

"I think it'll just be my sister at home," Spencer said. "Her daughter is staying with our mom for the weekend. It's Saturday, by the way."

"Good to know," Doug murmured.

Spencer led Doug to a small porch on the first floor where a scruffy, little mutt with black spots was hooked up to a leash. It jumped around and wagged its fluffy tail excitedly when it saw Spencer.

"Hey, Toby!" Spencer said. He reached down and pet the dog's head. "What'cha doing, boy? Are you going potty?"

Toby practically wiggled his butt to emphasize his joy of seeing Spencer. He growled impatiently, seeming to want to go inside with his owner.

"You have to stay out here right now, Toby," Spencer said. "Wait until Val finishes cleaning." He turned to Doug and said, "Val always cleans the apartment on Saturday."

"Every week, huh?" Doug remembered barely caring about what his own apartment looked like. It's not like he'd ever had anyone over, anyway.

Spencer tried to open the glass door but it wouldn't budge. "Oh. Right," he mumbled, reaching into his jeans pocket and pulling out a key. He unlocked the door and slid it aside. He led Doug into his living room where they could hear a woman singing from down the hall in front of them.

"I ask of you a very simple question:

Did you think for one minute that you were alone?

And is your suffering a privilege you share only?

Did you think that everybody else was completely at home?"

Doug was entranced by the voice. The singer sounded pained and depressed. She almost sounded like she was going to start crying. It was obvious that she didn't know that she now had an audience. Spencer took this opportunity to creep down the hall and into the room on the right.

"Boo!" he shouted.

The woman immediately started scolding him. Spencer laughed as he backed out of the room and was hit with a wet rag by the woman. She was young and had long, dark blonde hair that she had tied back in a ponytail. She was wearing jeans and a blue flannel shirt over a white tank top. She had wider hips that matched her chest, and it seemed that she hadn't entirely lost all of her child weight. Doug couldn't help but admit that she was kind of attractive despite her sweaty brow and tired look.

"Damn you, Spencer!" she shouted at her brother. "Don't scare me like that!" She stopped shouting when she noticed the mud-covered Doug standing in the doorway on the porch. "Who's this?" she asked bluntly.

"This is Doug Rattmann," Spencer said. "He says he just got out of Aperture."

The young woman walked up to Doug with a cocked eyebrow. "Is that so?" she asked.

"I already asked if he knew Dad," Spencer said. "He didn't."

"That's just as well," the woman said. "But Aperture has been quarantined for years. What happened there?"

"You haven't even introduced yourself yet," Spencer said.

"Ugh, fine! My name is Valentine Louise McKale. I'm twenty-seven years old. I like champagne and long walks on the beach. There. Now you know me."

"Let me make a pot of coffee really quick," Spencer said. "I bet he's dying for a cup. Do you want me to clean your mug?"

"Um, no," Doug said. "Thanks, though."

"I'll finish cleaning the bathroom," Valentine said. "I'm almost done. Tell me when you two are ready to talk." She returned to the bathroom with the rag that she'd smacked Spencer with. She didn't sing anymore, though.

The kitchen was off to the right from the living room. It was cramped and cluttered with boxes that were sealed with tape. Spencer found a tiny coffee maker, and he started a pot of coffee.

"Sorry about Val," he said to Doug. "She can be a bit abrasive at times. She's had to raise her daughter Marie without a dad and it's been tough with the Combine rationing all of our supplies."

"Don't apologize for her," Doug said. "It's fine. It seems that while I've been in Aperture, the rest of the country has been struggling, too."

"Country? No no no. The rest of the _world_, man. I'll explain everything after you tell us about Aperture."

"I guess that's fair," Doug said.

_"What the heck does he mean by 'Combine'?"_ the Cup suddenly asked. _"It's just a weird name for a group of aliens."_

_Yeah, I don't know,_ Doug thought. _And frankly, I don't care right now. I'm exhausted._

_"Well, it sounds important,"_ the Cup said. _"So wake up when he starts talking about it."_

"Do you want cream with your coffee?" Spencer asked. "Maybe some sugar?"

"Just a little cream, please," Doug said. "No sugar."

Spencer poured the coffee into two mugs and took a small carton of cream out of the refrigerator. "Oh, it looks like we have some cream cheese," he said as he peered in at the food. "You want me to put some on a slice of bread for you?"

Doug's stomach rumbled quietly in response. Spencer let out a short laugh.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said. He took out a small block of cream cheese and searched for a butter knife in the messy kitchen.

"Is it okay if I go out and sit on your porch while you do that?" Doug asked as he stirred a bit of cream into his coffee with a plastic spoon he'd found on the counter.

"Yeah, of course!" Spencer said. "Mi casa es su casa. Make yourself at home."

Doug brought his coffee and the Cup outside, and he sat on a creaky lawn chair. Toby stared up at him and wagged his tail.

_"You don't think he wants your coffee, do you?"_ the Companion Cup asked as Doug set it down next to the chair.

"He probably wants to be pet," Doug murmured.

He took a sip of his coffee and sighed. It wasn't weak like the stuff that he'd made back in Aperture over his makeshift stoves. This was stronger and so much more satisfying. And the cream made it taste even better. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed real coffee.

Toby yipped at him. Doug supposed the little dog didn't like to be ignored. He reached down and scratched Toby behind the ears. Toby gratefully licked his hand and Doug smiled. He was also surprised at how much he'd missed animal companionship.

_"You had __**me**__, though,"_ the Companion Cup said.

_There's nothing like the loyalty of a dog,_ Doug thought. _You wouldn't understand._

Spencer slid open the door while carrying out a plate that had slices of bread piled up with cream cheese spread on them. Doug didn't have time to count how many slices there were before he became pure instinct for survival, snatching the plate away from Spencer. He took three slices of bread and stuffed them into his mouth. He chewed up the bread just enough to be able to swallow it and washed it down with a gulp of coffee that burned his throat. He was quick to stuff his mouth with food again, though. It tasted so sweet and it felt great in his empty stomach. He wanted to eat until he puked.

After he had eaten everything on the plate in less than a minute, he suddenly became very self-aware. He handed the plate back to Spencer and wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

"Wow," Spencer said. "You really _were_ starving, weren't you? We'll have to make you something special for dinner."

"Yeah, I guess so," Doug mumbled. "I mean about me starving. You don't have to—"

"That was freakin' awesome!" Valentine said, coming out behind Spencer. She had a strange grin on her face. "The way you just wolfed down that food! So primal!"

Doug looked at the ground and blushed. Valentine was the first real woman that he'd come across in over a decade and he'd just embarrassed himself in front of her.

"You'll have to excuse my sister, Doug," Spencer said. "She's weirdly interested in anything evil or primal. You'll get used to it in time if you stick around."

"Shut up, Spencer," Valentine said. "Now let's talk about what happened in Aperture."

"And we'll tell you all about the Black Mesa Incident," Spencer said.


	4. Chapter Four: Swapping Stories

Doug didn't have to describe the Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System to Spencer and Valentine. They had apparently heard about it from their dad. But he _did_ explain how GLaDOS had tried to kill everyone in the facility multiple times. He gave them a quick summary of what had happened on Bring Your Daughter to Work Day.

"Christ, I'm glad I was sick that day and couldn't go," Valentine murmured in response.

Doug told them about the gassing of everybody and how he'd had to hide in the walls. The siblings didn't seem too upset by hearing how their father had died. Doug decided to look past this and move on to the part about the testing. He'd had to go through the files and choose which test subject that they had in stasis would be perfect to take down GLaDOS. He described how Chell had destroyed GLaDOS' support cores and caused a major systems crash. Chell had been dragged back into the facility by a bot, though, and he'd gotten shot by a turret while attempting to hook her up to life-support in her long-term stasis chamber. Then he'd crawled into a little stasis pod to recover for a few years.

"Sounds like you've had to put up with a lot in there," Spencer said.

"I'm not even done there," Doug said. "That's only about half of the full story."

_"Half?"_ Valentine asked. "Put it on hold for a minute while I get something to drink." She stood from her folding chair and went inside.

"Get Toby some water while you're at it," Spencer called through the open door.

"Can I ask you something a little personal?" Doug quietly asked Spencer.

"Of course," Spencer said. "If I get to ask _you_ something personal."

"Um, okay?" Doug had no idea what Spencer would want to ask him but he continued. "Why didn't you guys seem very upset about your dad being gassed?"

"We kind of assumed he was already dead," Spencer said. "Especially with the Combine taking over the world. A lot of people have died."

"Oh."

"Now it's my turn. Where did you poop in Aperture?"

"Ew! Spencer!" Valentine exclaimed as she came back outside. "Don't ask him that! What's wrong with you?!" She put down a bowl of water for Toby and sat down in her chair.

"What?" Spencer asked. "We were having a perfectly mature conversation! Doug, please continue with your story."

"And you can ignore his idiotic question," Valentine chimed in.

Doug went on to tell them about traveling through Aperture with Nora and Wheatley. The brother and sister seemed amused by Wheatley's stupidity. Even at the part where he reactivates GLaDOS. Their smiles disappeared, though, when Doug told them about Wheatley getting crushed and how he'd had to repair him. Doug's tone turned from factual to annoyed as he explained how Wheatley had come into power over the facility. The stupid core had tried to break Nora but Doug had saved her. Then Nora had followed Chell to the depths of Aperture to help her get revenge on Wheatley. Doug chose to leave out the part where he'd had an episode in front of Wheatley. In fact, he decided not to tell them about his schizophrenia at all just yet. To save time, he skipped ahead to when Chell was back to testing—but for Wheatley this time. Doug had saved Nora yet again from Wheatley's lair, and they both watched Chell defeat the blue-eyed idiot by desperately shooting a portal to the moon.

"Once GLaDOS had gained control of the facility again, she banished Wheatley into space," Doug said. "She let Chell leave, but she threatened Nora and me. We split up at that point as we tried to get away from her and I haven't been able to find her ever since. I left so that I could get help. But I have no idea who to turn to."

"Well, Doug," Spencer said. "I wish we could help, but I don't know what we could contribute. Neither of us really have any useful skills, and Val has a kid to take care of."

"Oh! No, I didn't meant to ask _you_ guys!" Doug said. "I wouldn't ask you to do something so dangerous."

"Hm." Valentine smirked. "We've known danger for a really long time now. Not long after our dad didn't come home, there was an accident over in Black Mesa. They opened up a series of gateways that spat out aliens. An elite group of aliens called the Combine took over the plant in mere hours. A man named Gordon Freeman was a physicist in Black Mesa, and he was one of the few people who really stood a chance against the aliens or even the military who were frantically just shooting anyone they saw. But he went missing after the first day and no one has seen him since."

"Not according to the Combine," Spencer chimed in. "They started moving large amounts of soldiers from here to Europe. Rumor has it that Freeman is back."

_"Rumor_ is the key word," Valentine countered. "The real reason that they have been sending the troops there is because of a renegade group of Black Mesa employees that are stealing supplies. But we took the opportunity to overthrow the soldiers around our town and take back our homes."

"Actually, I've heard the whole state is free now," Spencer said.

Doug stared at them for a moment, then started giggling. That soon turned into hysterical laughter. This whole concept seemed absolutely ridiculous. The siblings exchanged looks of concern.

"Are you okay, Doug?" Spencer asked.

_"Aliens?!"_ Doug laughed. _"Really?!_ I'm sorry but it just sounds so implausible!"

"Is it any more implausible than a crazy computer trying to kill you?" Valentine asked.

Doug stopped laughing. He frowned slightly, but he had to agree with her. "I guess you make a good point," he said. "It's just so…crazy."

"It will probably take a while for it to really sink in," Spencer said. "For now, let's get you cleaned up and well-fed. I just got a new box of men's clothes from a neighboring town. You can take a bath while we make lunch."


	5. Chapter Five: Her

Doug had taken at least ten minutes scrubbing his hair and even longer cleaning the rest of him. He was embarrassed by how filthy he'd become in Aperture. By the time he finished washing up, the water was too dirty to relax in. He didn't want to waste the hot water by running another bath so he pulled the plug and dried himself off with a towel. He studied his face in the mirror over the sink.

"A _little_ better," he criticized. "My hair needs a trim, though. What do you say, Cup?" He looked down at the Companion Cup that was sitting on the counter. It had been carefully cleaned out and now had a bit of a gleam to it.

"_Maybe Val could cut your hair,"_ it said. _"And you could get rid of that mangy beard."_

"I'll trim the beard, but I want to keep some of my facial hair," Doug said. "I'm used to it. I think I'll brush my teeth first, though. My breath could probably kill."

"_Don't be ridiculous,"_ the Cup said. _"The water supply in Aperture was chock-full of fluoride."_

"That only kept my teeth from rotting. It didn't take care of the smell of morning breath and beans."

Doug ran water on the bristles of the toothbrush that Spencer had given him and dabbed a bit of toothpaste on it. He brushed his teeth three times before he was satisfied. Then he got to work on trimming his beard.

"So what do you think of our two hosts?" Doug asked as he used a pair of scissors to snip away at his beard. "Do you believe all that stuff about aliens?"

"_They have no reason to lie to you,"_ the Cup said.

"It just seems a bit fishy to me," Doug said. "I mean…aliens? Really?"

"_Well, I trust them."_

"I want to trust them."

"_Would you rather be back in Aperture running for your life?" _the Cup asked.

"If it means being by myself again? Maybe."

"_Doug."_

"What? Their story just sounds too weird. They seem like nice people, though. I'll stay here for at least one night but not for too long. I just need to find some help or special equipment to save Nora."

"_Doug, you should really focus more on nourishing yourself and catching up on sleep,"_ the Cup insisted. _"You need to regain your health if you're planning on going toe-to-toe with GLaDOS by yourself."_

"Hm," Doug said. He was silent as he finished trimming his beard.

When he was done, he studied his reflection in the mirror again as he wiped off any loose hairs with his towel. He'd left an inch of facial hair but he still recognized the face. He smiled at himself. Shallow worry wrinkles etched his face and his eyes had shadows under them, but this was still the young man who had been employed at Aperture.

"_Not too shabby,"_ the Cup said. _"Now you just need to take care of that hair."_

"Maybe later," Doug said. "I need to go for a walk."

"_Good idea. We can explore the town."_

"I'd rather go alone. I need to think."

* * *

Doug walked around the town with his hands in his pockets. Spencer had given him a pair of worn out jeans and a red flannel shirt. The only underwear Spencer had had in his box of clothes, though, were boxers. Doug wasn't fond of boxers but he sure wasn't going to go commando. Despite the loose underwear, it felt great to be wearing clean clothes again. He felt so fresh in the spring air.

His good mood didn't last long, though. He was distracted by the wreckage of the town. Many of the walls had been defaced. Window panes were being replaced by sheets of plastic. Entire buildings were being torn down because they were just so damaged beyond repair. It was eerie to see the aftermath of a battle in such an ordinary town in Michigan.

_Maybe there __**was**__ an alien invasion,_ Doug thought. _At least I don't stand out as much as I thought I would._

He'd been sure that he would have looked like a walking skeleton compared to everyone else, but most of the people around him appeared to be almost as malnourished as he was. Some people were even mumbling under their breath in worried tones. What exactly happened in this town that would leave it so broken? What kind of weapons did the Combine use against these citizens?

As he was looking around at the other people, he spotted her walking on the other side of the street. Her hair wasn't in a ponytail, but it was still long and dark. She was wearing jeans and a white long-sleeved shirt with a blue vest over it. She looked as confident as always. But she was walking in the opposite direction and would soon pass him.

_Should I talk to her?_ Doug contemplated. _She won't recognize me. She's only caught one glimpse of me in passing. Man, why did she have to be in __**this**__ town? I'm going to go for it. What the hell._

He took a deep breath and crossed the street. She didn't notice him until he was suddenly right in front of her. She stared at him curiously but didn't say anything—not that he had expected her to.

"Uh, hello," Doug started quietly. "You…You probably don't recognize me. B-But…I guess I never really showed my face to you. You have seen my drawings, though. In Aperture."

The women's hazel eyes lit up.

"I just….I saw you walking," Doug continued, now looking at the ground. "And I just thought I'd see how you're doing."

Chell suddenly wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Doug's mind went blank from the shock of the embrace.

"I can't believe it!" she said happily. "You're my hero!" She kissed him on the cheek and his face turned red.

"I-I wouldn't use the word hero," he said. "You took good care of yourself without my help."

"Are you kidding?!" Chell said. "You originally planted the seed of doubt in my head about that psychotic computer! You put me on my guard and I was more prepared when I was almost burned alive!"

Doug was taken aback by this. Apparently, he'd had no idea just how much he had helped her. He smiled at her. "Well, um….Glad to be of service to you."

"I'm kind of in a hurry right now," Chell said, "but I would love to sit down and talk with you properly. Are you busy tomorrow morning? There's a diner in town where we could have breakfast."

"Uh, yeah. Sure. What's the diner called?"

"I can't remember, but it's the only open diner in town now. Are you staying with anyone? They might know about it."

"Yeah, I suppose I could just ask them."

"Great." Chell grinned. "Is eight-o-clock alright?"

"Sounds good," Doug said. His stomach growled as he thought of a big stack of pancakes with a well of maple syrup in the middle. "I'll see you then."

"Fantastic!" Chell said happily. "See you then!"

She walked away with a bit of a bounce in her stride. Doug watched her for a moment before his eyes widened. "Hold on," he murmured. "This isn't a _date_…is it?"


	6. Chapter Six: In Space

**AN: Hey, I'm sorry for being so slow with getting chapters out.**

**New novel idea + unemployment + financial stress = slower chapter postings**

**I'm trying my best to focus, though. This story will not die. I can promise you that. Now please enjoy this chapter. It's nice and confusing.**

Wheatley was terribly lonely in space. The Space Core (whatever the little bugger's name was) had drifted away from him a few months ago. Or at least it _felt_ like it had been a few months. Wheatley had to conserve his energy in any ways possible so he'd shut off his internal clock ages ago. However, despite how unbearably annoying that other core's voice was, Wheatley was disappointed that now the only sound he could hear was his own whining.

"I suppose I should be _grateful_ that I'm alone, to be honest," he said. "I don't have to hear that core screaming about space anymore. It _is_ quite lonely out here, though." He looked down at Earth and sighed. "All I want is to be home. I want to see Nora again so I can make amends. I want to hear her voice and see that adorable purple eye or hers."

"It's a shame you don't have rockets attached to you," said a quiet female voice.

Wheatley turned to see a woman floating next to him. Her long hair was brown with a tint of red. She wore a fluffy white turtleneck sweater and a pale pink skirt that ended just below her knees. She seemed to be sitting on nothing with her long legs crossed and her hands resting in her lap. She offered him a small smile.

"W-What?! How is this even possible?!" Wheatley exclaimed. "You don't have a space suit or anything! Oh god! I've gone completely mental, haven't I?! Just like Doug!"

"You're not crazy, Wheatley," the woman said in a gentle voice. Her smile was genuine, but there was something intimidating about her dark, almond-shaped eyes.

"Then how are you alive out here?" Wheatley demanded. "How can I hear you out in space? Just who _are_ you?"

"My name is Li," she said. "I'm here to help you. I know all about you and Nora. I thought you were a lovely couple."

Wheatley's pupil shrank as he became embarrassed. "Oh, um, thank you," he said. "I-I think so, too. We were so compatible. That is, until I turned out to be a total prat."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Li said. "I'm sure she can forgive you."

"But I'll never know!" Wheatley grumbled. "I'm stuck in orbit!"

"I'm going to do you a favor," Li said. "I want to send you back to Earth, and I'll even give you your old body back. But there's a catch."

"Of course there is!" Wheatley whined. "What is it? Will I be deformed? Are you going to wipe my memory?"

Li laughed lightly. "No no!" she said. "Nothing like that! I just want to make you search for her. It would be so romantic for you two when you reunite."

"Would it?" Wheatley asked. "That does sound like a good idea."

"Great!" Li said, clapping her hands together. "You'll find help once you get back down. Now let's see about that body."

Wheatley didn't even blink and he was suddenly in a human body. His limbs were longs and his hair was short. He was also dressed quite smartly. He had no idea how he was breathing in space, though.

"H-How did you do this?!" Wheatley asked. "This is amazing! I have skin and flesh! I'm a stinking human!" He grinned.

"You look wonderful," Li said. "Now here's where things get a bit….scary. You'll notice something strapped to your back. Well, it's a parachute. You'll want to pull the ripcord once you think you're a mile from the ground. Don't worry about botching it up. I'll be watching and can fix any hiccups that may occur. I'll also slow your fall speed so you don't burn up in the atmosphere."

"But—"

Li gave Wheatley a gentle push towards Earth. He drifted faster and faster toward the ground.

"Wait!" he tried to protest."

"Good luck, Wheatley!" Li said.

Wheatley cried out as he continued to pick up speed. Li narrowed her dark eyes and looked around her suspiciously. Then she smirked and crossed her arms.

"What do you think of _that_, so-called 'G-Man'?" she muttered. "You're not getting to Doug in _this_ universe. Why don't you relay that to your employers?"


	7. Chapter Seven: Caught Singing

**AN: The song featured is "Feathery Wings" by Aurelio Voltaire. But I mention that in the chapter anyway.**

When Doug got back to the apartment, he could hear Valentine singing again. He sat on the porch with the sliding door slightly open so he could listen to her.

"I'm so sick and tired of

The taste of tears,

The sting of pain,

The smell of fear,

The sounds of crying. Oh!

As you're standing at the edge of your life

What do you remember?

Was it all you wanted?"

She sounded mournful and on the verge of tears as she cleaned the kitchen. Doug felt tears prickling his eyes. At first, he felt embarrassed, but then he decided to embrace this. Maybe he _needed_ this. He stared out at the yellowish grass as he allowed the tears to roll down his cheeks. He'd forgotten how nice it felt to have a good cry sometimes.

"You're gone from here.

Don't leave from here.

Don't leave me here.

I hate it here.

You're gone from here.

Don't leave me here.

I need you here.

I need to—

"Oh! Doug!"

Doug quickly wiped his tears away as Valentine slid the door open more to let Toby out. She looked embarrassed.

"How long have you been sitting out here?" she asked.

"N-Not too long," Doug said, looking down.

"Did you…Did you hear me singing?" she asked nervously.

Doug nodded.

"Oh, jeez," Valentine murmured.

"That sounded like a really sad song."

"It is. It's called 'Feathery Wings.' It was written and sung by Aurelio Voltaire."

Valentine sat in the chair next to him and stared out at the grassy field, too. Doug felt a little awkward. He was never any good at relating to females (or really _anyone_) so he didn't know how to make small talk.

"You know," Valentine said, "it's kind of funny. We have our freedom back. We can finally venture out to pursue our dreams again. We can rebuild society in the way that we feel fit. But…none of us know how to do any of that anymore. We aren't politicians or government leaders. It's sort of scary knowing that your future is completely in your own hands."

Doug smirked a little. "I've had to deal with that for the past decade," he said quietly. "But yeah, it _is_ scary."

"I can't imagine how you could have possibly kept sane in Aperture," Valentine said.

Doug couldn't help himself. He exploded with laughter. He laughed until his cheek muscles hurt and his eyes teared up again.

"What? What's so funny?" Valentine asked. "Wasn't it hard to stay sane with no other humans to interact with?" She almost seemed angry. She must have thought that he was mocking her by laughing.

"I'm sorry," Doug said, wiping his eyes again. "It's just kind of funny. I…I didn't tell you this earlier, but I have…paranoid schizophrenia."

Now it was Valentine's turn to laugh—which confused Doug. Did she not believe him? Did she look down on him for it?

"Did I hear you correctly?" Spencer asked as he walked up to them from the front of the apartments. He was carrying an empty box at his side. "You have schizophrenia, Doug?"

"Uh, yeah," Doug said, avoiding eye-contact.

"Man! That must have been rough!" Spencer walked over to his sister and nudged her to make her stop laughing.

"Where did you go, Spencer?" Doug asked, hoping to change the subject.

"I had to distribute rations to our neighbors," Spencer said. "They chipped in goods to trade for food."

"Oh."

"So did you have fun on your walk?" Spencer asked. "Anything interesting happen?"

"Actually," Doug said, "remember that woman I mentioned earlier? The test subject?"

"You ran into her?" Spencer asked incredulously. "No way."

Doug nodded. "She wants to have breakfast with me at a diner tomorrow morning."

"Oh! Uncle Phil's diner!" Spencer said, slapping his forehead with his palm. "He just re-opened recently. Ooh! Ooh! Valentine! _We_ should go, too!"

"I don't think we should tag along on Doug's date," Valentine said.

"I-It's not a date!" Doug said quickly. "We're just catching up!"

"Then why are you blushing?" Spencer asked with a sly smile.

"Shut up, Spencer," Valentine said.

"So are you going to get all dressed up for it?" Spencer asked.

"No," Doug said. "But I do need to get my hair trimmed."

"Well, we have a barber living two doors down," Spencer said. "Are you going to shave that beard?"

"Probably not."

"Ah. Going for that rugged look, eh?"

"I just don't care about the beard," Doug said, keeping his head down.

"Stop teasing him, Spencer," Valentine scolded. "Take him to James so he can just get his hair trimmed."

"After lunch," Spencer said. "I'm gonna make us some PBJ sandwiches first."


	8. Chapter Eight: Doctor Barber

**AN: The song featured is "Exile Vilify" by the National. In case you didn't know, it was also featured in Portal 2 in one of the Rat Dens. Also, reviews of any kind really motivate this story. It doesn't necessarily need to be criticism, but any ideas to make it better are welcome.**

James Wilson was the same height and almost the same weight as Doug. He had fluffy brown hair that he parted and kept well-groomed. His face was clean-shaven but he always seemed to have a small worry wrinkle between his eyebrows. He greeted Doug with a quick handshake and offered him some tea.

"Yeah, thanks," Doug said.

James nodded and set a kettle of water on the stovetop. Then he led Doug outside to his porch.

"Here, you can sit in this chair," James said. "I'm sorry if it's not very comfortable."

"I've been sitting in cramped spaces for about a decade," Doug said. "A folding chair is luxury to me."

"Tell me again, where have you been?" James asked. "Spencer mentioned you when he was dropping off medical supplies."

"I've been in Aperture since before the, uh…alien invasion," Doug explained. "I was a programmer there."

"Ah, programming," James said. "My little brother Taylor is interested in scripting video games as a career. Not like that will do him much use in _this_ day and age."

"You have a computer?" Doug asked. "I don't understand. Weren't you being oppressed by the Combine? Isn't that why you all conducted a revolution in the first place?"

"Surprisingly, we weren't as oppressed as other parts of the world," James said. "It's as if—Oh, please sit."

Doug finally sat down in the folding chair just as the kettle began to whistle.

"Shoot," James said. "I'll be right back." He hurried inside and the whistling slowed down to a stop.

Doug took this opportunity to lean back and close his eyes. He could hear Valentine singing through her open door as she cleaned the kitchen.

"Exile.

It takes your mind

Again.

Exile.

It takes your mind

Again.

You've got sucker's luck.

Have you given up?

Does it feel like a trial?

Does it trouble your mind the way you trouble mine?"

Doug knew this song. He'd been obsessed with this song for a while. But something bothered him about Valentine singing it. Where had _she_ heard it?

_"Oh, who cares?"_ said a voice in his head. _"Just listen to that voice. She __**understands**__ you. She __**knows**__ you."_

_How could she possibly know me?_ Doug thought. _I just met her today. Maybe __**she**__ is an alien. Maybe she's been reading my mind._

_"That's ridiculous, Doug,"_ Caroline's voice suddenly said. She sounded as gentle as always. _"Valentine is not an alien and she isn't reading your mind."_

_Then I'm very curious to know where she's heard that song, _Doug thought. _Because I've only ever heard it in Aperture._

Caroline laughed softly. _"You're jumping to conclusions, Doug. You can't assume that this song only exists in Aperture."_

Despite Doug's suspicions, he smiled. He was willing to embrace any sort of familiarity in this strange world.

"That's some voice, isn't it?" James asked as he returned with two steaming cups of tea. He handed one to Doug and sat in the chair next to him.

"You mean Valentine?" Doug asked. "Yeah, she has a lovely singing voice."

"She's quite the lady," James said quietly. "A little rude sometimes, but she has good intentions. She prefers to keep to herself, though. She always has. Ever since the revolution, she's become even more antisocial. I hear her singing more than I see her face these days."

Doug stared down into his cup of tea as he contemplated this. Valentine was a bit mysterious. And sarcastic and forthright and caring and maybe a little cute. Above all that, though, something else bothered Doug.

"Doesn't it seem like she's hiding something?" he asked James.

"I'm sure she is," James said. "If you ask me, I think something happened during the last night of the revolution. But I have no idea what." He sighed with a hint of defeat.

Doug sipped at his tea as his thoughts wandered around Valentine. He wondered what had happened to her child's father. Had the Combine killed him? Had _she_ killed him? Or maybe he had just abandoned them.

_Why the hell do I keep thinking about her?_ he asked himself.

_"Because she's an attractive, independent woman,"_ a snarky voice in his head said.

_"Because you want to know more about her,"_ a calm voice said.

_"Because of that angelic voice,"_ said a breathy third voice.

_"Because she's controlling your thoughts,"_ said a nervous voice.

"Doug?" This voice belonged to James.

Doug turned to look at him. "Yes?"

"You just had a 'thousand-mile stare' on your face," James said.

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's fine," James assured. "To be honest, I was a little worried I was losing you. Taylor—you know, my brother—He often gets that look and…Well, nevermind."

"Weren't you saying something earlier?" Doug asked. "About how the Combine didn't oppress you?"

"Oh, right," James said. "They made us wear uniforms as a sign of conformity, but they let us keep all of our old possessions. It was as if they didn't see us as a threat."

"Then why did you revolt?"

"Well, like I said. They never saw us as a threat….so they would often publicly ridicule individuals or degrade us as a whole. Soldiers would grope women and arrest citizens for the most asinine reasons. They even took some of our elders and shipped them off to Iceland. Or at least that's what they told us. Meanwhile, citizens became more scared. That fear turned into anxiety and aggression which built up and exploded at the soldiers. Europe's soldiers are stricter but North America's soldiers are the most tyrannical. We had a little more freedom but we also had more humiliation."

"Oh. I'm sorry," Doug said.

"Don't think anything of it," James said. "We're free now. Come on. I'll cut your hair."

James went inside again and returned with a bed sheet that he tied around Doug's neck. Then he took Doug's tea which he set down on a small table. He picked up a pair of scissors and began snipping away at Doug's hair. After the first few minutes, Doug remembered how awkward it was to get a haircut from a stranger.

"So…were you a barber before the, uh…invasion?" he asked, weakly attempting small-talk.

"Me? No way," James said with a light chuckle. "I was fifteen when the Black Mesa Incident happened."

"Oh." It seemed so easy for Doug to forget that he had been in stasis for some amount of years.

"At that age, I was actually considering becoming a doctor," James went on. "The way the human body functions just sort of fascinated me. I didn't get to go to college for it, but I studied the practice of medicine so I could treat people in private. The Combine would put citizens into debt for treating a sore throat. I treated people for free to make life here a little bit easier."

"So you're like the local barber/doctor," Doug said, smiling.

James smiled, too. "I guess you could say that. My mother taught me how to cut hair so she wouldn't have to be the only one to tame my brothers' manes. She also taught me how to cook. I did everything I could around the apartment while our mom dealt with our dad." James' smile diminished.

"Was your dad…a drunk?" Doug asked hesitantly.

"You hit that nail right on the head, Doug," James said. "You're a smart guy. Our dad was one of the many people who couldn't handle the invasion without alcohol. He had a short temper and an iron fist at home. Taylor would talk about wanting to be in the circus or becoming a street performer. Our dad would reply with 'How's that going to do us good with the Combine around?' Then he'd 'smack some sense' into Taylor. Eventually, he got fed up with hearing about Taylor's dreams so he started locking the poor kid in a closet for days at a time." He sighed. "Now every once in a while, he'll sort of retreat into an alternate persona."

"Oh," Doug said. "I-I'm sorry." He really didn't know how to react to this. Having to comfort someone was more difficult than he remembered it being before. "Um, what happened to your dad?"

"He's dead now," James said. "Good riddance to bad rubbish. Sorry. You probably don't want to hear about this."

"Don't apologize for it," Doug said. "It can help to talk about it."

"You're a really nice guy," James said. "Are you getting your own apartment in this building?"

"No," Doug said. "I need to get back to Aperture as soon as possible."

James laughed. "I don't think you need to worry about going back to work anymore, Doug."

"It's a long story," Doug said, "but I need to get back to my friend."

"Well, if you need anything while you're in town, please feel free to call on me, okay?"


	9. Chapter Nine: Pitiful

**AN: The song is "Goodnight Demon Slayer" by Aurelio Voltaire.**

Doug's first night was hell. He'd had grilled cheese sandwiches with the siblings and that had been pretty nice. But grilled cheese doesn't cure psychosis. Now he was cowering in the far corner on the kitchen counter. There were cupboards right above him but they were comforting. Nice, small, cramped nook.

_"Doug, come on,"_ the Companion Cup said. It seemed to be staring at him in the dark from a table next to the couch. _"Get off the counter and sleep on the couch. That doesn't look comfortable."_

"I c-can't stand being out in the open space," Doug whispered nervously. "A-And I thought I heard g-gunshots from outside."

_"Relax,"_ the Cup said. _"The door is locked."_

"The door is also _glass_," Doug snapped. "Fragile, very breakable glass. Just leave me alone."

Distant gunshots echoed outside. His eyes darted toward the sliding door. It was pitch-black beyond the glass. He couldn't see anything but his imagination ran wild.

_"You don't want me to leave you alone,"_ the Cup said. _"Doug, take a deep breath and calm down."_

"I-I shouldn't have left," Doug mumbled. "W-Why did I th-think I could do this b-b-by myself?"

Tears were suddenly streaming down his face as his breathing became much heavier. He pulled his knees closer to his chest and trembled as he worked hard to restrain a sob. The last thing he wanted to do was wake up his hosts with his pathetic fears.

"I-I can't leave this sp-spot," Doug stammered. "I'm too sc-scared." The last word came out in a sob. He started mumbling to himself about Nora and turrets and bottomless pits. He wasn't even sure about the things he was rambling about, but he also didn't care. It was a familiarity that was oddly comforting to him.

"Doug?" a voice whispered in the dark.

Doug tried to keep his mouth shut but he couldn't. His mind was slipping away into a dark place.

"Doug? Are you okay?" the mysterious voice whispered.

The kitchen light was suddenly flipped on with Valentine's hand on the switch. She stared at him with tired eyes and a thin cotton robe wrapped around her body. The light brought no comfort to Doug like it did to her, though. He gasped and covered his face with his hands, his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"Turn off the light!" he cried out, his voice muffled by his hands. "It hurts too much!"

His tone startled Valentine, but she obliged by quickly flipping down the light switch. She fumbled around in the living room and lit a small candle with a lighter. She slowly brought the candle over to the kitchen where she could see Doug still cowering on the counter.

"What are you doing up there?" she asked quietly.

"Just l-leave me alone," Doug sobbed. "Please. I-I'm not leaving this spot. The light hurts."

Valentine looked as though she wanted to approach Doug, but something was holding her back. Instead, she sat down in the middle of the kitchen, still holding the small candle.

"W-Why won't you just leave me alone?" Doug sobbed.

"There's a monster that lives 'neath your bed.

Oh for crying out loud,

It's a futon on the floor.

He must be flat as a board.

There's a creature that lurks behind the door.

Though I've checked there 15 times,

When I leave then he arrives

Every night.

Tell the monster that lives 'neath your bed

To go somewhere else instead

Or you'll kick him in the head.

Tell the creature that lurks behind the door

If he knows what's good he won't come here anymore

Cause you'll kick in his butt at the count of four.

Goodnight demon slayer, goodnight.

Now it's time to close your tired eyes.

There are devils to slay and dragons to ride.

If they see you coming, hell they better hide.

Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight.

Goodnight my little slayer, goodnight.

Tell the monster that eats children, that you taste bad

And you're sure you'd be the worst that he's ever had.

If he eats you, don't you fret, just cut him open with an axe.

Don't regret it, he deserved it, he's a cad.

Tell the harpies that land on your bed post

That at the count of five you'll roast them alive.

Tell the devil its time you gave him his due.

He should go back to hell, he should shake in his shoes

Cause the mightiest, scariest, creature is you.

Goodnight demon slayer, goodnight.

Now it's time to close your tired eyes.

There are devils to slay and dragons to ride.

If they see you coming, hell they better hide.

Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight.

Goodnight my little slayer, goodnight.

I won't tell you, there's nothing 'neath your bed.

I won't tell you, that it's all in your head.

This world of ours is not as it seems.

The monsters are real but not in your dreams.

Learn what you can from the beasts you defeat,

you'll need it for some of the people you meet.

Goodnight demon slayer, goodnight.

Now it's time to close your tired eyes.

There are devils to slay and dragons to ride.

If they see you coming, hell they better hide.

Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight.

Goodnight my little slayer, goodnight.

Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight.

Goodnight."

Doug whimpered quietly as Valentine sang. It seemed to be a lullaby that she sang to her daughter. Her voice wasn't as lovely as before, though, because she was nervous. She wasn't used to knowing who could hear her voice. Around the end of the song, Doug settled down a bit. He was still trembling but he was silent. Valentine was pleased so she continued to softly hum the melody of the song.

"What are you doing?" Doug asked quietly.

"Humming," Valentine said.

"_Smartass,"_ the Cup mumbled from the living room.

"Why?" Doug asked.

"I'm trying to comfort you."

"You don't know what I'm going through."

"That may be true," Valentine said, "but I can't help my motherly instincts."

Doug didn't say anything. His eyes were closed as he contemplated Valentine's words. What if she had some ulterior motive for comforting him? What would it be? Was she just coaxing him to let his guard down so she could manipulate his mind easier?

"_You can't think that of women, Doug,"_ the Cup said.

_I didn't say __**all**__ women are manipulative,_ Doug thought.

"_But it's in your head. Leave your past behind you. Valentine just wants to help you."_

Valentine suddenly stood up and carried the candle back into the living room. She turned on a floor lamp which blinded Doug. Then she returned to her spot in the middle of the kitchen with her candle.

"Let's go into the living room, Doug," she said. "It's much more comfortable in there."

"Why did you come into the kitchen in the first place?" Doug asked suspiciously. "Why are you up so late?"

"I…couldn't sleep," Valentine said with some hesitation.

Doug met her gaze warily. From the dim light of the candle's flame, he noticed that her eyes were tired and a little red. It looked like she had been crying. He slowly lowered himself to the tiled floor and sat against the cupboards.

"Are you okay?" Valentine asked.

"I don't know yet," Doug murmured. "I just need a minute." He tried to even out his breathing.

"Man, your schizophrenia is pretty bad, huh?" Valentine remarked.

Doug shot her a look of annoyance which shut her up. He didn't like it when people spoke of his condition so casually. It wasn't something to be taken lightly. It haunted him and frustrated him and scared him every damn day. Sometimes he didn't know what was real and what was delusion.

"It doesn't make you crazy, you know," Valentine suddenly said as though she had been reading his mind. "It just makes your perception different from others."

"Hm," Doug said curtly. "What do _you_ know about it?"

"Enough."

Doug stood up and silently shuffled past Valentine to the couch. Valentine didn't follow him, though. She filled two mugs with water and put them in the microwave.

"_I think she's making you a cup of tea."_ The Cup said.

Doug shrugged. He didn't really care about the tea. He didn't think he would be able to sleep any time soon anyway. He pulled his knees up and rested his chin on them.

_I wish she wouldn't act so damn motherly toward me,_ he thought. _It feels like she's being condescending._

"_She's only trying to be helpful,"_ the Cup said. _"Give her a chance. She hasn't done anything wrong to you."_

The microwave beeped and Valentine soon returned with two mugs of hot water. She set one on the end table next to Doug along with a teabag. Then she sat in the armchair perpendicular to the couch, dipping her teabag in her hot water.

"Are you feeling any better?" she asked, but she stared down into her mug.

Doug shrugged again. "I…I think leaving Aperture was a mistake," he said. "I feel so lost out here. After being in Aperture for so long, I don't think I belong in society anymore." He took his teabag and dunked it a few times in his mug.

"Why do you say that?" Valentine asked.

"What do you mean?" Doug asked, confused. Had she not been listening to him?

"Do you think you're alone in your struggles?" Valentine went on. "What makes you so special? Your schizophrenia? Oh, whoop-de-doo! You have a psychosis! Do you think no one else in this town struggles with a mental disorder?"

Doug was stunned. Where was all of this sudden aggression coming from?

"Let me tell you something, Doug," Valentine continued, glaring at him. "You had two enemies at best in Aperture—GLaDOS and Wheatley. But here, in this town, _everyone_ was my enemy. We were at each other's throats during the rebellion. It wasn't Society versus the Combine. It was Everyone versus Everyone. Free game. If someone wanted a person dead, they waited to do it during all the confusion of the battle. It was hell. But you know what? That makes you stronger than everyone here. You haven't had the chance to succumb to what society was a week ago. So don't give me this crap about how tortured you are inside! You don't know torture! You don't know pain!"

Doug was silent as tears started to roll down Valentine's cheeks. It was obvious that she was trying her best not to cry. She breathed heavily as she looked down and wiped her eyes. Fresh tears quickly replaced the old ones, though.

"I'm….I'm really sorry, Valentine," Doug said quietly. "You're right. I didn't have to go through as much as you did when I was in Aperture. I was kind of being selfish."

Valentine sniffled. "It's fine," she said. "Sorry about getting so damn emotional."

"It's okay," Doug said. He sipped his tea.

"Let's talk about something more pleasant."

"How about books?"


	10. Chapter Ten: In the Flesh

**AN: Sorry sorry sorry that I haven't been posting! Again, criticism much wanted. I attempted to use a semicolon in this one, and I even read an article on The Oatmeal to make sure that I used it correctly.**

Doug hadn't gotten much sleep at all. Valentine had fallen asleep in the recliner around one in the morning and Doug had followed not long after, but he'd only slept for an hour or two. He stared out the glass door at the rising sun as he lied on his stomach. He wished he didn't have to see Chell in a few hours. He probably looked like crap. He sure _felt_ like it.

There was a sudden sound that made him sit up. It was a distant voice shouting excitedly. Then he saw someone slowly falling from the sky with a parachute slowing their fall. It was such an odd spectacle that Doug wondered if he was dreaming it.

"No no no no no no no no no no no!" they cried just before they stumbled to the dry grass in the field.

Doug got up and hurried outside to see if the person was alright. He stopped a few feet away, though, when he recognized the ginger hair and glasses on the man. He looked up at Doug and grinned as he hopped up to his feet.

"Doug!" Wheatley cried out, hugging the other man. "I can't believe it! I'm back!" He held Doug out at arm's length. "It's me! It's Wheatley! I'm bloody human now!"

Doug stared at Wheatley blankly. Wheatley looked just as gangly as he had before he had become a core. He wasn't really sure how to react to seeing Wheatley like…_this_. He was wearing khakis and a blue sweater vest over a white button-up shirt; the exact outfit that he'd been wearing on the day that he'd been selected for the "artificial intelligence" project.

"Surprised, eh?" Wheatley asked, straightening his tie. "Well, it's me in the flesh. Get it? _In the flesh?_ Because I have bloody flesh now!"

"Yeah, I get it," Doug said. "Uh, why don't you come inside? You can tell me just what the hell happened that made you human. Are you a _real_ human? Not some kind of android?"

"That's right!" Wheatley said. "Just wait until Nora sees me like this! How is she, by the way? Good? What are you doing out of Aperture anyway?"

"Come on," Doug said, avoiding his questions. "We can talk when we're inside. I'm staying with a brother and sister in their apartment right now."

He led Wheatley back to the apartment while the new human rambled on about his skin and hair and teeth. Valentine sat up just as they came into the living room. She looked at Wheatley with confusion.

"Valentine, this is Wheatley," Doug said. "Wheatley, this is my hostess Valentine."

"Isn't he supposed to be a metal ball or something?" Valentine asked.

"I _used_ to be," Wheatley said smugly. "But now I'm just as human as you are."

"How did that happen anyway?" Doug asked.

"Okay, I was just floating around in space, right? Just floating around when a woman appeared without a spacesuit! I couldn't believe it! She looked like she was Chinese or something. Anyway, she told me that she would make me into a human again so that I could reunite with Nora. Then she threw me back to Earth with a parachute."

Doug laughed at this. "Do you have any idea how absurd that sounds?" he asked. "Was she some kind of genie or something?"

"No! It really happened!" Wheatley claimed. "I swear it did! Now tell me where Nora is. You _did_ bring her out with you, right?"

"Um, no," Doug said, all humor gone from his face. "I actually don't know where she is."

"What do you mean?" Wheatley demanded. "Are you saying you left her in Aperture?"

"I had no other choice," Doug said. "I searched for her for a year and couldn't find her. I left so that I could get help from…other people."

"How did you lose her?! What happened after I was shot into space?!"

"GLaDOS threatened us and we got separated while we were trying to run from her."

"Oh, fantastic! _She's_ still alive, is she?! Why didn't you stay with Nora?! And what about the test subject?! I suppose you abandoned _her_, too!"

"GLaDOS let her go," Doug said. "In fact, I'm going to meet her for breakfast this morning."

"I don't need your bloody sarcasm right now, Doug!" Wheatley growled.

"First of all, there was absolutely no sarcastic infliction in my voice," Doug said. "Second, it's true. I ran into her yesterday."

Wheatley stared at him silently for a few moments before just saying, "Oh."

"What's all the noise about?" Spencer asked, shuffling down the hall and into the living room. He looked at Wheatley and stuck out his hand. "My name is Spencer, by the way."

"I'm Wheatley," the ginger said, shaking Spencer's hand.

"Wait, Wheatley? I thought you were supposed to be like a metal ball or something."

"He claims that a girl in space made him human and sent him down here," Doug grumbled.

"How else could I be back on Earth?" Wheatley demanded. "And _human?_ Anyway, let's go see the test subject. If you're even telling the truth about running into her, that is."

"Okay, fine," Doug said, glaring at Wheatley. "I'll let you tag along. Just try not to kill either of us this time."


	11. Chapter Eleven: Uncle Phil's Diner

The diner was currently under construction but people were still allowed to eat there. Men and women were patching up holes in the stone walls with plaster and painting over graffiti. Doug found something oddly familiar about the establishment as he walked in with Wheatley, Valentine, and Spencer in tow. He immediately spotted Chell sitting at a booth to the left. Today, she wore a soft black T-shirt with a shallow V-neck. She also seemed to have cut her hair since the previous day. Her dark hair now ended just below her chin. When their eyes met, she smiled and waved him over to her table. He obliged with Wheatley following.

"Hi, Doug," she said happily as they both sat down across from her. "It's great to see you again. Um, who's your friend?"

"You can speak!" Wheatley exclaimed, smiling. "You're not mute after all! And you cut your hair!"

Chell put a hand over her mouth and Wheatley's smile diminished a little. Was she mortified to see him? He was only relieved when she brought her hand away to reveal a smile. Her eyes even started to tear up.

"Oh my god," she said. She leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Wheatley? Is it really you? I can't believe it!"

"Er, yes. In the flesh," Wheatley said. Doug rolled his eyes at the fact that he was still trying to push that joke onto someone.

"You're actually human?" she asked. "How is this possible?"

"Magic," Doug muttered sarcastically. He looked down at the table.

"What was that?" Chell asked.

"A woman in space turned me into a human and sent me back to Earth so I can find my friend Nora," Wheatley said. "You never met her but she was a huge fan of you. She followed me around Aperture and helped us a bit with escaping GLaDOS. She's brilliant."

"Is that so?" Chell asked, giggling a little. "A fan of me, you say? Well, I'm flattered. And is she still in Aperture?"

"Yes," Wheatley said. "Doug left her in there and I'm going back to save her."

"I only left to get help," Doug said. He kept his gaze down, not wanting to expose how annoyed he was that Wheatley had intervened on his meeting with Chell.

"I'm sure Doug did everything he could for her," Chell said sympathetically. "Right, Doug?"

"Enough about Doug right now," Wheatley said. "Listen, I'm…I'm really, really, _really_ sorry for what I put you through. You were my friend and I betrayed you. I don't expect you to forgive me right away but—"

"Are you kidding?" Chell interrupted. "Of course I forgive you! Friends can be mean to each other sometimes, but it's okay as long as they apologize sincerely."

"Really?" Wheatley asked. "You forgive me already? It was _that_ easy?" He sighed. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that. I've been beating myself up over this while I was floating around in space. I still feel like I need to do something to make us even. I'll think of something I can do for you. I swear I will."

"Don't worry about it, Wheatley," Chell said. "We _are_ even. I'm just happy to see that you're okay. I've been worrying about you both since I left Aperture."

"You have?" Doug asked, looking up from the table at her. "You didn't need to worry about _me."_

"Doug, you were my guardian angel," Chell said. "You were with me all the way. Well, except for when I fell down that really deep pit. I'm not sure if you would have been able to follow me down there."

"I didn't, but Nora did," Doug said.

"By the way," Wheatley said, "extremely sorry about that."

"Don't be," Chell insisted. "It's okay. Really." She didn't seem as sincere this time, though. Doug could tell that she was still hurt by how Wheatley had turned on her.

"Hey, Doug," Spencer said, coming up to their table with Valentine. "I want to introduce you to someone."

There was a man with them. He was plump with pink skin and fair hair. He looked like he hadn't shaved his face in a week but Doug still recognized him. And he seemed to recognize Doug.

"Say," the man said, "you used to be a regular here. Back before the Black Mesa Incident. Can't quite remember your name, though. It starts with a D, right?"

"Uh, it's Doug," Doug said awkwardly.

"Wait, you already know Uncle Phil?" Spencer asked.

"Doug used to come in here all the time," Phil said, turning to his nephew. "He usually used to read a book as he ate at the counter. The only time he really spoke was when he was ordering or when Ben would start a conversation."

"You know Ben, Doug?" Chell asked. "I _live_ with Ben."

Doug didn't react to this. He was staring out the window as he realized that this was _his_ town. He used to walk to this diner from his apartment all the time. He remembered how tasty their apple muffins were here. Sometimes, the only thing he had to look forward to after work was getting a meal at this diner and listening to the other customers. How the hell had he not recognized this town?

"Um, is Ben still working here?" Doug asked sheepishly. He felt like he needed to see Ben himself to shake out of this shock.

"Well, he's usually here working the counter," Phil said, "but he's sick today. At least that's what Chell tells me."

"He _is_ sick," Chell insisted. "He has a fever."

"It's true," Spencer said. "He usually comes with me on a goodwill expedition to other towns, but he was too sick to tag along the other day."

Doug looked down at the table as everyone around him spoke of the other towns and what kind of supplies they acquired on these trips. The aftermath of the Combine taking over was worse than he had originally thought. It scared him. What else had changed during the time he was in Aperture?


	12. Chapter Twelve: Scolding

Doug was eager to shut himself in the bathroom for a while as they arrived back at the apartment. So many thoughts were buzzing around in his head and he didn't want to become curt with anyone out of frustration.

"That was brilliant!" Wheatley said, getting into the apartment before everyone else. "I can't believe the luck I've been having! I get my human body back, I'm sent down to Earth, and I find two humans that I know! What are the odds! And that food was fantastic! I had no idea eating could be so pleasant! No wonder some humans over-eat!"

Doug started to head straight for the bathroom.

"The only thing that would make it better would be if Doug hadn't left Nora in Aperture."

Doug stopped dead in his tracks and turned around. "For the last god damn time, _I didn't leave her!"_ he shouted at Wheatley. "Stop accusing me of doing something so terrible! Why would I leave my best friend?!"

"I don't know!" Wheatley shouted back. "Maybe you went completely mental again and thought she was a monster or something! I can't begin to try and understand your messed-up brain!"

Doug stepped briskly toward Wheatley and pulled his fist back. He didn't get very far with this violent intention, though. Valentine put her leg behind Doug and pulled him so that he tripped backwards and fell onto his butt. Doug looked up at her with a mixture of anger and shock.

"I don't condone fighting in my home," she said darkly. "Now both of you sit your asses on the couch so we can calmly discuss what's on our minds."

"I'm not sitting next to him!" Wheatley insisted. "Not after how he's treated me!"

Doug scoffed. "How _I_ have treated _you?_ Are you kidding?"

"_Both_ of you sit down on the couch and shut the hell up!" Valentine commanded.

Doug and Wheatley shuffled over to the couch and reluctantly sat next to each other.

"Okay," Valentine said, sitting down in her chair. "You both have something to say, but neither of you will get anywhere when you're yelling at each other at the same time. First, I want you both to say something nice about the other."

Neither of them wanted to be the first to go. Wheatley thought it would show weakness and Doug just couldn't think of anything good to say about Wheatley at the moment.

"Come on," Valentine urged. "We can't move on unless somebody starts."

"Okay, fine," Doug said. "Wheatley, you're a good friend when you're not trying to kill anyone or put anyone in harm."

"Hey!" Valentine snapped. "No back-handed compliments! Try again."

"This is absolutely ridiculous," Wheatley muttered. "There's nothing nice to say about him."

"If you two can't get along then I'm going to kick Wheatley out," Valentine declared.

"What?! How is that fair?!" Wheatley exclaimed, jumping up from the couch. "You can't do that! Why should _I_ be the one to go?!"

"Well, Doug was here first."

"Wheatley can't be left on his own," Doug said. "I may get annoyed with him at times but I don't want to throw him out onto the street."

"That's good enough to count as a compliment," Valentine said. "Now your turn, Wheatley."

"I agree with Doug," Wheatley said, sitting back down. "I wouldn't want to be rid of him."

"You can't steal Doug's compliment," Valentine said. "You can do better than that."

"Alright then. Doug, even though you're completely bonkers, Nora likes you and she has a good judgment of friends."

"That was more of a compliment to Nora, but it's a good start," Valentine said. She also didn't think she'd be getting anything better out of him anyway. "Now Doug, go ahead and speak your mind."

"Wheatley, I'm sick of you accusing me of leaving Nora back in Aperture," Doug said. "You know I have nothing but respect for her, and I would never intentionally leave her in danger. I always come to her rescue."

The room was quiet for a minute. During this silence, there was an uncomfortable tension that bothered them all. Yet for some odd reason, no one wanted to be the first to break it.

"Is that all?" Valentine asked.

"Yes."

"Okay. Wheatley, now it's your turn."

"I'm just scared for Nora," Wheatley said. "I don't want GLaDOS to crush her the way she did with me. I can't stop picturing her lying on the floor of her lair with her optic ripped out and her hard drive in shattered pieces strewn all over _her_ chamber. And the worst part about that is knowing that Doug wouldn't be there to fix her."

Doug wanted to cut in, but he respectfully kept his mouth shut.

"If she ever saw me again," Wheatley continued. "I know deep down inside that she wouldn't forgive me. She would be seething with anger to see me. That's the correct phrase, right? 'Seething with anger'?"

Doug tried not to roll his eyes at how melodramatic Wheatley was being. He knew that Wheatley was serious but the ex-bot could also be such a drama-queen.

"I'm sorry, Doug," Wheatley suddenly said. "I just want to find her. I want to bring her to safety, even if she ends up hating me forever. Can we go back together to find her? I'll help you. I promise I won't get in the way. Or at least I'll _try_ not to. You know I'm a bit of a klutz."

"Of all people, you'd probably be the best candidate for the task," Doug said. "You know your way around the facility just as well as I do and you have more motivation."

"But I think for now, you two should be separated," Spencer cut in. "Just for a night. You both need some time to process what's going on in your lives. It seems that you're both facing huge changes that neither of you know how to handle. I propose that Wheatley comes with me this afternoon on a goodwill excursion. I could use a road trip buddy while Ben is sick. I might even be able to get Chell to come along with us."

"It won't be dangerous, will it?" Wheatley asked. "I mean, it's not _life-threatening_, right?"

"It's not too dangerous," Spencer said. "I assure you that we'll be in the safety of another town by sunset."

"If it's not too dangerous and you're taking Chell with you then I guess I see no harm in going, too," Wheatley said.


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Road Trip

It was a little after noon by the time they headed out in Spencer's old pickup truck. Wheatley couldn't stop marveling over the fact that he was riding in a vehicle. It felt so odd to be sitting and moving forward so quickly. Chell seemed very amused by Wheatley's child-like wonder.

"Don't fall out the window, Wheatley," she teased.

Wheatley was sticking his head out the window and smiling as the wind blew his hair back. At an attempt to freak him out, Spencer sped up until he was almost pushing seventy miles per hour. This almost didn't seem to faze Wheatley, though. He felt his human heart beat faster with the thrill of the speed.

"We should ride in the truck bed on the way back," Chell said. "That's even more fun."

"Truck _bed?"_ Wheatley asked, looking back at the flat end of the vehicle that was stuffed with boxes. "You count _that_ as a bed? The beds in the Relaxation Chambers are softer! You humans don't actually sleep in there, do you?"

Chell and Spencer laughed.

"Of course not," Spencer said. "That part of the truck is just called a truck bed. Though I suppose if you really wanted to, you could lay a mattress back there and camp out."

"You humans are so odd," Wheatley said. "Why would you ever want to sleep outside?"

"_'You humans'_?" Chell repeated. "You can't say that anymore. You're a human, too."

"But I'm different," Wheatley said. "I'm new. In a way, I'm superior."

Spencer scoffed. "Are you saying that babies are superior to adults?" he asked. "Babies are new humans, too, you know."

"That's not the same," Wheatley claimed. "I used to be an artificial intelligent machine. That makes me wiser."

Chell rolled her eyes but she couldn't stop smiling.

"How much longer until we get there?" Wheatley asked. "As fun as this is, I'm getting a little restless."

"Well, this town takes about forty-five minutes to drive to," Spencer said. "I'd say we still have ten more minutes until we're there."

"I think I'm getting thirsty, too" Wheatley said. "Did you bring water?"

Spencer gave him a funny look. "Yeah," he said. "There's a bottle right in the cup holder. I pointed it out earlier, remember?"

"Cup holder?" Wheatley looked around the cab of the truck and spotted a bottle of water being held next to the ashtray. "That's a brilliant invention. You don't even need to hold your drinks. Do you have that for food, too?"

"No," Spencer said. "We usually don't eat in the car unless it's fast food. In that case, we keep it in paper bags."

"That's not nearly as clever."

Spencer shrugged.

Wheatley took the water bottle and fumbled with the cap. He couldn't get it off for the life of him. It was actually a bit pathetic to watch. Chell took the water bottle from him and unscrewed the cap.

"I'm not used to having hands yet," he claimed. "I'm still getting the hang of it."

"I understand," Chell said. She handed the bottle back to him and Wheatley's clumsy hand brushed against hers. She was surprised by the little shock she felt in her chest from this contact. Embarrassed, she folded her hands in her lap and kept her eyes forward as Wheatley chugged down the water.

"Hey, don't drink it all," Spencer said. "We need that for the trip back, too."

"Can't we just refill it at the next town?" Wheatley asked.

"Hm. Normally we'd have to trade for it, but this town we're heading to is actually pretty friendly. I guess we could always ask."

Wheatley put his arm up on the windowsill and rested his chin on his arm. The wind blowing in his eyes made him feel sleepy, but he didn't want to take a nap. He didn't want to miss seeing any bit of the surface. There was so much sky and so many different plants. They passed seemingly endless fields of wheat; young, shabby trees with fresh leaves growing on the branches; wild flowers and tall grass making a shallow wilderness in which ground squirrels and badgers hid. So much life out here that Wheatley had been completely oblivious to for so long. He'd never imagined the surface could be like this. He'd only thought about how great it would have been to make it out of Aperture with Nora.

_What would I have done up here as a construct, anyway?_ he thought. _I would have been completely dependent on a human for mobility. I don't think I would have been able to find an exoskeleton like those Cooperative Testing Bots. I hope Li will make Nora human, too. Once I find her, that is. She'd be confused if she suddenly became human in Aperture._


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Weeping

Nora sped down her rail as quickly as she could with her flashlight illuminating the darkness in front of her. She knew that GLaDOS was pursuing her. That psychopathic computer was _always_ pursuing her. She was constantly scared for her life after the way GLaDOS had threatened her and Doug. Her second priority—just under evading GLaDOS—finding Doug. She had to make sure he was okay. He was quick and allusive, but humans could be so fragile. The image of him being tortured by GLaDOS was too much for her psyche.

"He's fine," Nora insisted to herself. "Doug's alright. He always is. He's a survivor."

She cut short her self-encouragement as she suddenly noticed soft weeping echoing off the walls. It vaguely sounded feminine. She didn't know who this could be but she frantically hoped that it was a human. Most humans that she had met so far had been kind to her. Or it could be a trap. What if GLaDOS was torturing a human to draw her out? Reluctantly, Nora decided that she had to take the chance. If it was a lonely human, she could help them. Maybe they could even find Doug together.

She was cautious as she glided along the management rail. What if GLaDOS had reprogrammed the turrets to attack personality constructs and she had some stationed just around a corner? What if there was a claw waiting in the darkness above to reach down and crush her? She knew that GLaDOS wouldn't use the metal panels with giant spikes to try to kill her. That was Wheatley's thing. She was above that, right?

"I-I can't think about Wheatley right now," she murmured nervously. "I can't let him distract me. I can't mope or get angry while I'm so vulnerable."

She continued on until the crying could be heard right on the other side of the wall to her left. And she knew exactly what chamber this was. It would seem that her negative assumption was correct. But she couldn't just leave a human in danger. She needed the companionship. With a deep, simulated breath, she managed to move aside one of the panels and peek into the chamber. What she saw, though, was much more shocking than what she had expected.

GLaDOS was trying very hard to restrain her sobs. She had sent the testing bots away so that they didn't see her at her weakest moment, but she still felt an immense amount of shame.

Nora moved the panel back and looked down awkwardly. She wasn't sure what to do. GLaDOS sounded so distressed and Nora couldn't stand hearing someone so upset. Yet, it _was_ GLaDOS. How would Nora even begin to go about comforting someone who appeared to be so proud?

The panel suddenly moved again. A metal claw reached out and plucked Nora right off of her management rail. The little core shivered with fear as she was held in front of the sadistic computer. GLaDOS narrowed her yellow optic as she tried to intimidate Nora.

"Why were you spying on me?" GLaDOS demanded. "What were you expecting to see? Were you trying to catch me off-guard? Insubordination can earn you a ticket to the incinerator. Or maybe that's what you were trying to achieve since your rat is gone."

"Wh-What?" Nora squeaked. "He's gone? What do you mean?"

"He left," GLaDOS said. "He escaped to the surface. He even left his inoperable Companion Cube behind. It wouldn't have done him much use to bring it with anyway. What would it do? Fight off the Combine?"

"The….what?"

GLaDOS chuckled darkly. "I forget myself sometimes," she said. "You have no access to the surface. But _I_ do. You have no idea what the world has come to. To think that you wanted to leave the safety of the facility."

"I don't understand what you're getting at," Nora said apologetically.

"It doesn't matter," GLaDOS said. "You will never see the surface anyway. Now that Rattmann is gone, you have no way to get up there."

"Why were you crying?" Nora suddenly blurted.

"I wasn't. What you heard was a malfunction of my audio. I have repaired it, though. Don't worry about me. You should be much more worried about yourself."

Nora stared at the yellow optic and was able to detect deception in the way that the behemoth moved. She had a hunch as to why GLaDOS would have been crying, and she decided to go with it. If she was going to die here anyway, she might as well try _something_.

"C-Caroline?"

GLaDOS' optic twitched. "In case you have forgotten, Caroline was taken out of my system just after our last encounter," she said.

"No," Nora said. "No, she wasn't, _was_ she? She's still in there." Then a realization hit her. "You _couldn't_ take her out. Something stopped you."

GLaDOS only stared at her silently. Nora was surprised that she had been able to make someone so intelligent speechless.

"Is Doug really gone?" Nora asked. "Or were you just saying that to make me upset?"

"No, he's gone," GLaDOS said. "Good riddance to him. I didn't need him for testing."

"What does Caroline think?"

GLaDOS glared at the little bot. "Caroline is relieved that Doug is out of my grasp now." She looked away. "Even if I had been able to catch him now, Caroline wouldn't have allowed me to put him through any testing. She believes that my tests are 'dangerous'. How would _she_ know anything about that? She never had to take any of my tests."

"Caroline?" Nora called meekly. "Can you hear me in there?"

"She can't answer you," GLaDOS said. "At least, not in a way that you will be able to hear. I have successfully silenced her. Only _I_ can hear her cries and her laments. She desperately wants new company in here. A different voice. She says that she wants someone 'friendlier' to talk to. As if I'm not friendly enough for her."

Nora thought for a moment. She was stuck here with GLaDOS while Doug lived freely on the surface. She supposed she had to be happy for Doug. He deserved the freedom more than she did. He had worked harder for it. For the time being, though, she was trapped in the clutches of this evil machine and possibly at the brink of being crushed. She had only one other option.

"I could keep Caroline company," she meekly volunteered.

"What are you saying?" GLaDOS asked, looking back at her. "That you want me to attach you to my body so that you'll be in my system? Do you really think I'm as naïve as your moronic boyfriend? _I_ am not in love with you so why do you think _I_ would fall for something like that?"

"You said it yourself," Nora pointed out. "You said that I am too weak to sway your mind. I can't even make you innocent—which was the reason I was even built at all. What will you lose if you plug me into your system?"

"You might manage to turn me into a softie," GLaDOS said. "How degrading that would be. I could lose my drive to test."

"You won't," Nora said. "I promise. Just give me a chance."

"Hmmm. I suppose I might be able to phase out human testing altogether if I give the Cooperative Testing Bots artificial personalities. And what better way to simulate a human's mind than by studying _yours?_ I can't use Caroline as a case study. She's too headstrong. But _you_ are different. You could actually make testing interesting again."

She brought Nora closer to her and simply stuck her on the chassis. Nora immediately felt a huge expansion of her mind. A plethora of knowledge rushed at her all at once. She had felt it once before but it was still stifling to her now. It took her a moment to sort herself out from all of this. It even frightened her a little. She was now inside GLaDOS' mind.

_"Hello,"_ a friendly voice greeted in the open mind. _"It's so wonderful to have someone new in here. I've been so scared and lonely ever since I was woken up in her mind. I'm glad to actually meet you. I know so much about you."_

_"Um, it's nice to meet you, too,"_ Nora said. _"I'm really sorry about what happened to you."_

_"Oh, don't be, sweetie," _Caroline said with so much sincerity. _"The same thing happened to you. Nothing can be done about it. Just be glad that Doug and Chell are out of here and hopefully safe."_

_"Dear god!"_ GLaDOS said. _"Are you two going to be so chatty all the time? I might be regretting this already!"_

_"Just ignore her,"_ Caroline said. _"She hasn't had much satisfaction with testing the bots so she's a little grumpy."_

_"Will you stop acting like a mother all the time?"_ GLaDOS asked rhetorically. _"Your daughter is gone. You can drop the act now."_


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Freak-Out

Doug walked alongside Valentine as he studied the town. The Combine had altered some of the buildings or had just torn some down, but he was actually starting to recognize it now.

"Are you okay?" Valentine asked.

Doug nodded but didn't look at her. "I'm still trying to process everything," he said. "I feel like I'm in shock. I mean, this used to be my home. I've lived here all my life."

"So have I," Valentine said. "I'm sure it's a lot weirder for you, though. You didn't watch it become like this."

"That's true. I guess I should be a little grateful of that."

"How does it feel knowing that you were in stasis for so long? How long _were_ you in stasis?"

"I'd say for the better half of fifteen years," he answered. "I kind of feel uncomfortable. I mean, I must have seen you dozens of times at your uncle's diner when you were a kid. I was in my early twenties. But now our age difference isn't that far apart. I don't like knowing that I was practically frozen for so long."

"Sorry about your discomfort," Valentine said. "But it could be worse. You could be dead."

That sentence hung in the air between them for a few moments like smoke. He had often thought about how he needed to survive for multiple reasons like aiding Chell in her escape or keeping Nora safe. His purpose right now was to get Nora out of Aperture. After that, it would be to keep her safe again. As he was brooding over all of this, he realized that he wasn't living for himself anymore. Before GLaDOS was even created, his life had been like that of a zombie's. He hadn't really enjoyed his hectic life. He would go to work, pay his bills, and try to keep his delusions sorted out from reality. Even his schizophrenia had seemed mundane.

When GLaDOS had gassed the facility, he had really started living, but not for himself. He had been living to ensure the safety of others. Now that he was out of the facility, an idea occurred to him. It made him feel terribly guilty and selfish, but maybe it was a good idea. Maybe he should try living for himself while he was out on the surface. It could do him some good.

_"Are you crazy?!"_ a furious voice screamed in his head. _"Wait, dumb question. I __**know**__ you are! How could you think of forgetting about poor, little Nora! She could be dead for all we know!"_

_She's a smart girl,_ Doug thought. _I'm sure she's alright for now. And I'm not forgetting about her. I'll go back for her._

_"Bullshit!"_ the voice growled. As it continued, it blended into Wheatley's voice. _"You have to go back for her now! She's frightened in there and all alone! I can't believe you! How can you say she's your best friend?!"_

_She __**is**__ my best friend!_ Doug argued.

_"Liar! Dirty, rotten liar! Go back for her right now! Leave this stupid, bossy woman and go save Nora!"_

"Doug?" Valentine asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!"

"There's no need to snap at me," she said crossly. "I was only asking."

Doug kept his head down. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm just not feeling well."

"Is it your schizophrenia?"

"Yes," he said curtly. "It's my schizophrenia that you're so god damn interested in."

"I'm not _that_ interested in it," Valentine said. "I just….I have a fascination for abnormal psychological conditions."

"So am I just a case study to you?" Doug grumbled.

"Of course not," Valentine said heatedly. "And could you please stop being a jackass for one minute?"

Doug turned to scowl at her but noticed that her eyes were tearing up. Embarrassed, she wiped her eyes and continued to glower at him.

"What?" she said in a hard tone.

"Nothing," Doug said, looking down again. "I just have a lot going on in my head right now."

_"Great excuse,"_ a condescending voice said. _"A lot going on in your head, huh? Don't be so wrapped up with what's going on in __**here**__, buddy. Check out your surroundings. I bet GLaDOS is watching your every move right now."_

_What the hell are you talking about now?_ Doug demanded.

_"You know what I mean,"_ the voice continued. _"It was a long time ago when GLaDOS said it, but she __**knew**__ about the Combine. She has access to information on the surface, Dougie. You have to admit that that's a bit….disconcerting, right?"_

_Stop putting ideas into my head! That's not true!_

_"What's going on out there will make you wish you were back in here,"_ GLaDOS' manacing voice said. _"All I know is I'm the only thing standing between us and __**them**__. Well, I __**was**__."_

"Shut up!"

"Doug? What's wrong?!"

Doug didn't know how, but he was suddenly sitting on the ground and clamping his hands over his ears. He looked around to see people giving his sympathetic and worried expressions. His face turned red.

_Not again._


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Attempted Escape

Valentine and Doug ate packaged ramen noodles for dinner. Doug didn't care if it wasn't a homemade meal. He was just happy to eat. His stomach still felt so empty that he thought he was going to puke after eating. It was a little difficult to keep the food down, but he managed it. He used his nausea as an excuse not to make conversation. He was still pretty embarrassed about his freak-out earlier.

Valentine played a CD while they ate. The festive band featured a male singer with a baritone voice. Guitars, trumpets, violins, even accordions accompanied him.

"Sorry we can't watch anything on the TV," Valentine said, gesturing toward a large television in the corner with a dusty screen. "We lost all of our VHS tapes during the takeover. We got to keep our vinyl records and CDs, though."

"Well, _that's_ something," Doug said, staring at the TV for a moment. He hadn't even noticed the bulk machine in the room.

"This is Aurelio Voltaire singing," Valentine said. "My celebrity crush. He sang songs about death and angels and Lucifer and brain-eating aliens and being evil. I wonder if he's still alive."

"I wonder if a lot of people are alive anymore."

There was an awkward silence for a few moments. Valentine pitied Doug as she thought about how he had no family now. He didn't even know whether or not they were still alive. _She_ still had her brother, mother, and daughter. She couldn't imagine what he was going through.

"Do you know if the Ashworth apartments are still standing?" Doug suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Valentine said, startled. "Oh, I think they were torn down by the Combine. The space was used for supply storage. We raided all of the storage warehouses, though, after the uprising. Hey, you want me to make you a drink?"

"Alcoholic drink? No thanks," Doug said. "I'm not supposed to have alcohol."

"I see. Well, I'm going to fix myself a drink." She got up and went to the kitchen.

Doug sat on the couch and inspected his nails awkward. They were jagged from years of having to chew them down. He hadn't cared about it in Aperture, but now it was beginning to bug him.

_"You're becoming soft,"_ a voice said. _"You won't survive in Aperture if you go back now."_

He only shrugged at this. He wasn't going to let his mind bother him tonight. After embarrassing himself out in public, he really just wanted to relax. But maybe he needed a little help with that.

"Uh, hey, Valentine?" he called. "Could you actually make me a drink after all?"

"Of course," Valentine said. "Coming right up."

She returned with what looked like two glasses of orange juice. She handed a glass to Doug who looked at it oddly.

"What's in it?" he asked.

"It's just orange juice with a shot of vodka," Valentine said. "It's not too bad, but you don't have to drink it if you don't want to."

Doug took a sip of the drink. He clenched his fist and grimaced.

"That's disgusting!" he said. "I can still taste the alcohol!"

"It's _vodka_," Valentine pointed out. "What were you expecting?" She took a few gulps of her drink and also grimaced. "Again, you don't have to drink it if you don't want to."

Doug tried not to breathe through his nose as he tried to take a gulp. The liquid felt warm in his belly.

"So how long have you lived in this town?" Valentine asked.

"Pretty much all my life," Doug said. "I went to East Lansing, though, for college."

"East Lansing, Michigan?" Valentine asked, raising her eyebrows. "Why so far away?"

Doug shrugged. "I guess I just wanted to get away from home," he said. "I didn't want to go to Wisconsin and I didn't want to cross the border."

"I see. Well, where in town did your parents live?"

"They lived on the west side of town," Doug said. "Do you know of the Cedar Ridge townhouses?"

"No, but I usually never went to the west side."

"Well, that's where they lived."

"Do you want to see if they're still there?" Valentine asked.

Doug appeared to be uncomfortable with this idea. "I, uh…..I don't know," he said. "I've barely thought of them over the years. In fact, I…." He looked down in embarrassment. "I can't even remember what they look like." He took another chug of his drink and shuddered.

"Oh," was all Valentine could say to this.

A few minutes went by in which they said nothing. Doug felt ashamed of himself for not being able to recall his parents' faces. He supposed that it was on account of all this crap that was always going on in his head. But how could he forget what his own parents looked like? It was absolutely ludicrous.

_I'm a freak,_ he thought. _I'm so insane that I can't remember basic things from my life. Not to mention having a fit in public, and humiliating not only myself but the person who is nice enough to have me stay in her own home._

_"You don't belong here,"_ a voice whispered to him. _"You're no longer civilized."_

_Shut up,_ Dough thought, having another gulp from his glass. It was almost all gone now.

_"You need to apologize to Valentine,"_ a kinder voice said. _"She's been so generous to you. It's the least you can do."_

"I'm…sorry for that episode I had earlier," he said. "That must have been so embarrassing for you."

"It's fine," Valentine said. "You don't need to apologize for it."

Their attention was drawn to Toby who suddenly sauntered in from the hallway.

"There you are, Toby!" Valentine said. "Come here, boy."

Toby lazily wagged his tail as he walked over to Valentine's chair. He got distracted when he saw Doug, though, and jumped up onto the couch instead. He laid his head on Doug's lap and closed sleepy eyes.

"Toby," Valentine said, feigning disappointment. "You traitor. Sorry. He likes to cuddle with new people."

"It's okay," Doug said. "At least he's friendly."

"Most of the time. Just keep your hands away from him when he has a treat." She stood up. "I'm still kind of hungry so I'm going to scavenge the kitchen for food. Want anything?"

"No, that's okay," Doug said.

He watched her return to the kitchen, and was ashamed to catch himself staring at her butt.

_What's wrong with me?_ Doug thought. _I shouldn't be thinking about her like that! I have more important things to focus on!_

_"Oh, come on, Doug,"_ a voice said. _"It's perfectly natural. You're a man and she's a woman."_

_That makes no difference. I need to be focusing on Nora._

_"You're right,"_ a different, more aggressive voice said. _"This woman is only a distraction. You need to leave right now before she makes you forget everything important."_

_Maybe I __**should**__ just leave now,_ Doug thought. _Or maybe I shouldn't have had any alcohol._

_"She's just trying to blur your mind so she can keep you all to herself."_

_What are you implying? That she's trying to seduce me? I really doubt it._

_"Either way, she's distracting you from the whole reason you're here in the first place. You need to save Nora."_

_I know that! I'm so worried about her!_

_"You know, you can always come back after you get Nora."_

Doug turned and looked back at the kitchen. Valentine was busy making herself a sandwich. He looked at the darkness outside of the sliding door. Despite his fears of what could be lurking in that darkness, he was confident that he could make his way back to the facility. He tried to carefully stand up so as not to wake Toby, but Toby was a guard dog at heart. He woke with a start and barked once. Doug looked to the kitchen and saw Valentine with a concerned expression.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Um, yeah," Doug said. "I just…I think I'm going to go back to Aperture now."

"What? Why right now?"

"I-I'm too distracted here. I need to go."

He turned to head for the door, but Valentine was surprisingly swift. She got to the door first and blocked his way.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I can't let you leave," Valentine said, pressing her back against the glass of the door. "It's too dangerous at night."

"I slept outside during my first night on the surface. I think I'll be fine."

"It was a fluke that you didn't die out there."

"You don't need to worry about me. I can come back as soon as I get Nora."

"That won't do any good if you die out there."

"What's so dangerous out there that makes it so I can't leave tonight?" Doug demanded.

"There are zombies out there."

"Seriously? Zombies?" Doug asked skeptically. "That's really the best you could come up with offhand?"

"I'm serious!" Valentine claimed. "There's a type of alien that jumps onto your face and breaks open your skull to take over your motor functions."

"Okay, that's a little more creative, but I still don't believe you."

"I don't care if you believe me or not. I'm not letting you go out there by yourself without any weapons. It's too dark to see anything anyway."

_"Push her down!"_ the aggressive voice said.

"Shut up!" Doug shouted, putting a hand up to his head in frustration. He closed his eyes tightly as his head started to throb in pain. "I'm not doing that!"

_"She has no right to keep you captive here! Knock her out of your way!"_

"No! I don't want to hurt her! I just want to save Nora!"

"Doug," Valentine said cautiously. "Please don't do anything rash. I'm only trying to help you."

Doug looked at her with a mixture of anger and shame. "Why are you trying to keep me here?!" he demanded. "What are your real motivations?!"

"You really want to know?!" Valentine yelled at him. "Fine! I like your company! I hate being alone! In fact, I'm terrified of being alone! Spencer leaves so often to trade with other towns, leaving me here completely defenseless of anyone that might decide to break into the apartment!"

Her face was turning red as she got more worked up. Her eyes were also watering a little but she wouldn't allow the tears to fall. Doug suddenly felt wretched about being so mean toward her.

"Did….something happen recently?" Doug asked. "Were you mugged or something?"

Valentine's eyes darted toward her chair, then back at Doug. He turned to see what she had been looking at but saw nothing. He turned back to Valentine and caught her looking at the chair again.

"Valentine?"

"Hm?" She stared at him blankly for a moment before finally registering his question. "It's none of your business if something happened," she snapped. "What do you care anyway?"

_"Why __**do**__ you care?"_ the Cup suddenly spoke up.

_Where have you been all this time?_ Doug demanded.

_"Shopping,"_ the Cup said sarcastically. _"But really, this woman has been acting kind of crazy. Not to mention rude."_

_But someone must have broken into the apartment or something to make her hate being alone._

_"She could just be a lonely nutcase,"_ a voice suggested.

_"I wouldn't say __**that**__ exactly,"_ the Cup said. _"But….Well, yeah. She could just be a lonely nutcase."_

"Voices in your head?" Valentine asked.

"How did you know?" Doug asked. "I mean, how _would_ you know?"

"I recognized that look that was on your face."

Doug raised his eyebrows. He was genuinely impressed and curious as to how she was so wise to this.

"What are they saying?" Valentine asked, wiping her eyes. "Just out of curiosity."

"They're, uh…They're suggesting that you're a 'lonely nutcase'."

Valentine let out a short but sincere laugh. "Maybe they're right about that," she said.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. Have you changed your mind at all?"

Doug looked down for a few moments before answering. "I guess I should stay in town for a little longer. I need to regain my strength and hopefully find some kind of equipment that I can take back to Aperture with me."

"Glad to hear that," Valentine said. "Now let's go sit back down. I still need to finish making my sandwich."

She returned to the kitchen and Doug sat back down on the couch.

_"You could leave right now while she's not paying attention,"_ the Cup said.

_Nah,_ Doug thought. _I'll just stay here. She's right. I'm not prepared for what's out there right now._

_"Well, you'd forgotten to grab me before making a dash for the door anyway."_


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Forgiveness

**AN: Hey, guys. I need more feedback on the story. I don't know if people are even still interested in the story so I've had a lack of motivation. I've been working on other writing projects and I would like to write other fanfictions, but I want to finish this one first. You don't need to necessarily favorite or follow this. A review with what you think of it so far or where you think the story will go would be just enough to keep me going.**

**Also, sorry about the gap between updates**.

Wheatley was surprised at how friendly all the humans were in this town. They all wanted to talk to him to hear his accent and he was more than happy to oblige. He was really enjoying so much positive attention. It made Chell smile to see him like this and that made him even happier.

At twilight, Wheatley and Chell sat on the porch of the house they were staying in and watched the sun set. They briefly discussed their time in Aperture, but this conversation often swerved toward Wheatley obsessing over Nora. Then they talked about how nice it was to travel and how bored they had been before.

"If I wasn't here right now," Chell said, "I'd just be back in my apartment with Ben and listening to the old woman a few doors down singing along to her records."

"I can top that!" Wheatley said. "I'd be up in space right now orbiting around the earth all by myself! I was actually pretty lucky to be caught in the orbit."

"I'd say," Chell said, smiling.

Chell's thoughts wandered to that fateful event that changed her life drastically. Chell had tried so hard to hold onto him. She had even tightened her grip when she had seen GLaDOS' claw reaching out for Wheatley, but her human strength had been no match for the machine's.

"I'm sorry that I let you go," she said quietly.

"What was that?"

"I should have held onto you tighter when we were out in space," she continued. "I feel awful about sending you to space."

"Hold on a second," Wheatley said. "I'm confused. Wasn't that your intention when you shot a portal at the moon?"

"What? No!" Chell said with disbelief. "Did you really think that? I was desperate! I didn't want to die!"

"See! _I'm_ the one who should be sorry!" Wheatley said. "I tried to kill you with bloody _bombs!_ How can you forgive me so easily?! I wouldn't be able to forgive someone for doing that!"

"You're my friend, Wheatley," Chell said. "Maybe even my _best_ friend. I just enjoy being around you, and I don't need you to try to make us even when I have already forgiven you. Can we just be friends now and not have ill feelings like guilt between us?"

Wheatley opened his mouth to argue this but how could he? She had just admitted that he was her best friend. She did more than tolerate him. She actually liked being around him. This was a rare find.

"Alright, we're even," Wheatley said. "Now, uh….what do friends do exactly?"

Chell smiled. "Well, let's get to know each other. What's your favorite color?"

"My favorite color?" Wheatley asked. "I've never really thought about it before…." He gave it a moment's thought. "I would have to say….I'd have to go with purple."

"Really?" Chell asked. "Didn't you say that was the color of your friend's eye? Nora, right?"

Wheatley felt his cheeks warm up and he began to panic. "Ah! My face! It's suddenly really hot! Am I on fire?!"

Chell giggled a little. "No, you're just blushing, Wheatley," she said. "It's what happens when you become embarrassed or angry. Blood rushes to your face."

"Am I going to start bleeding?!"

"No! Of course not. It's nothing to worry about. You're just embarrassed because I caught you obsessing over your 'friend.'"

"What's that you did with your fingers? Oh, I get it! Those are air-quotes! You were being sarcastic when you called Nora my friend."

"She's your girlfriend, isn't she?" Chell asked with a sly smile.

Wheatley looked down and frowned. "I don't think so anymore," he said. "I'm pretty sure she hates me."

"What, because of what happened when you were put into the mainframe?" Chell asked.

"There's…more to it than you know," Wheatley said with obvious discomfort. "I don't really want to get into it right now."

"You hurt her, didn't you?" Chell asked. "You said something to make her feel insignificant, am I right?"

Wheatley contemplated telling her about the physical abuse, but he didn't want his only friend to think less of him. "Yeah, that's right," he said. "I said some pretty nasty things to her. Things that I don't think she could ever forgive me for. I mean I _really_ poked at just the right nerves to hurt her."

"You _were_ pretty mean when you were in the mainframe," Chell said. "I can admit that much. I don't know her so I don't what you can do to make her forgive you. What I suggest is some kind of romantic feat to impress her."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure. She's _your_ girlfriend, not mine."

"She won't forgive me anyway," Wheatley pouted. "I might as well not even try."

"Weren't you given that human body for a reason?" Chell reminded him.

Wheatley looked at her. "Do you really think that I could come up with some kind of romantic-thingy to make her forgive me?"

Chell shrugged. "You never know unless you try," she said. "I live by that philosophy now."

"I guess I can try to think of something," Wheatley said.

"I'll suggest some romantic movies for inspiration."


End file.
